DOCSLIB.ORG

The Beginnings of Beer in the Ancient World: Greece

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Beginnings of Beer in the Ancient World: Greece The Beginnings of Beer in the Ancient World: Greece Travis Rupp & [email protected] [email protected] Barley for Beer • One of the first alcoholic drinks in the Neolithic Period (c. 6000 BC). • Barley as currency • Staple cereal of ancient Egypt • Residue tests indicate barley beer in Sumeria by 5000 BC • Sumerian Tablet depicting process c. 4000 BC • Listed in Egyptian grave goods c. 2650- 2575 (Tomb of Hekherebau) • Oldest recipe, Sumerian poem honoring Ninkasi (1900 BC) Funerary stele from el-Amarna (c. 1350 BC) • Epic of Gilgamesh (18th century) Tell el-Farkha: (3600-2600 BC) Rise of the Brewing Industry: Egypt 3D Reconstruction of Tell el-Farcha Brewery (c. 3500 BC) 12 x 13 feet ROMAN BREWING? Pliny the Elder (AD 23-79) “A particular intoxication…” (Nat. Hist. 14.29.149) Roman benefits of beer? …lactis potus ossa alit, frugum nervos, aqua carnes (23.22.37). …quorum omnium spuma cutem feminarum in facie nutrit (22.82.164). Floor Malting Born in Europe – AD 179 Above: Reconstruction of the furnace for the kilning floor at Regensburg Left: reconstruction of a medieval chimney, much like the one that Roman Ruin in Regensburg, Germany: The would have covered oldest known Malt House in the world the furnace pit at (constructed AD 179) Regensburg Beer Rations for Soldiers Letter c. AD 100 Decurion Masculus to prefect Flavius Cerialis: Cervesam commilitones non habunt quam rogo iubeas mitti. Atrectus the cervesar[ius[? Birth of beer styles and the cost of a pint… Diocletian’s Tax Reforms and the Cost of Production (AD 284-305) Different terms for different beers? • Cervesia = Celtic wheat beer • Camum = Celtic barley beer • Zythum = Egyptian beer • Sabaia = Beer of Illyricum An Italian Sextarius (Pint) • Celtic beers = 4 denarii • Zythum = 2 denarii • Cheapest wine = 8 denarii Bust of Diocletian r. AD 284-305 1 Denarius = a skilled laborers daily wage. Traditional View for the Spread of Beer 1. Sumerians taught Egyptians 1. Egyptians taught Greeks 1. Greeks taught the Romans 1. Romans taught the “savage tribes” of Britain Pliny and Tacitus attribute the development of the “brewing art” to Celtic and Teutonic Publius Cornelius Tacitus (AD 56-117) people of Britain and Central Europe. Bronze Age Brewing Thera and Akrotiri The “Minoan Pompeii” c. 3000-1450 BCE Spyridon Marinatos “…we found a small broken pithos in the 1901-1974 bottom of which there was found this substance which we arbitrarily called flour. When the vase was found this substance in the bottom, about 5-8cm. thick, was found in shrunken state, and the side walls of the vase did not touch it. Under the influence of heat, dryness, or both, it had lost part of its original mass. Examination under a strong lens showed that the substance was in fact barley flour which had been very imperfectly ground. The farina had disappeared but the bark part of the barley grains could still be seen in the form of thin needles or small straws. Some grains of barley that had slipped through the millstone were found intact. It was evidently not perfect flour, but coarse and something like the homeric ουλοχυταιemployed in the sacrifices.” - 1968 Nippled Ewer with Barley Motif Thera, Akrotiri ca. 1628 B.C. Homeric Beer: κυκέων c. 8th cent. BC Iliad - 11.624, 638-41 Odyssey - 10.234-36, 290, and 316–317 βρῦτος or βρῦτον (7th-4th cent. BC) • Greek word = “brewed beverage” • not a Thracian word • τάς κριθάς ἐς τό πῶμα καταλέουσιν – they grind barley for a drink • Egypt and Thrace Mycenaean Beer Archaeobotanical evidence of Prehistoric Greece – Papathanasiou 2015 Lentils Peas Bitter vetch Emmer Einkorn Nestor’s Bru Six-row Barley Two-row Barley Grass peas Horsebeans Blackberries Cornelian cherries Pears Elderberries Figs Almonds Acorns Olives Megaron of “Nestor’s Palace” Wild grapes Pylos – c. 1300 BC Domesticated Grapes Ancient Greece as early as 1600-1100 BC (Mycenaean Culture) Homeric Hymn to Demeter (lines 206-209) τῇ δὲ δέπας Μετάνειρα δίδου μελιηδέος οἴνου πλήσασ᾽: ἣ δ᾽ ἀνένευσ᾽: οὐ γὰρ θεμιτόν οἱ ἔφασκε πίνειν οἶνον ἐρυθρόν: ἄνωγε δ᾽ ἄρ᾽ ἄλφι καὶ ὕδωρ δοῦναι μίξασαν πιέμεν γλήχωνι τερείνῃ. Demeter, enthroned and extending her hand in a benediction toward the kneeling Metaneira, • Eleusinian Mysteries: Kykeon = who offers the tribute wheat – a reoccurring mixed drink of barley and herbs symbol of the Mysteries (Varesse Painter, Red • Demeter = “Barley Mother” Figure Hydria, c. 340 BC, Apulia) Xenophon 430-354 BC He says that there was “…barley wine in mixing bowls. The barley itself was on top, at lip-level, and in [bowls] were reeds, some larger and some smaller, that did not have joints. Whenever someone was thirsty he had to take these in his mouth to suck. And it was very strong unless one poured in water. And the drink was very good to the one used to it.” - Xen. Anab. 4.5.26-27 Funerary stele from el-Amarna (c. 1350 BC) Thracian, Phrygian, Egyptian? Archilochus, Hellanicus, Hecataeus, Aeschylus, Herodotus, Galen (Roman) .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • That Just Makes You Tired!
    That Just Makes You Tired! Have you ever noticed that mere observation can make you tired? (Well, me neither). However, my son is always the thinker and he made an observation worthy of contemplation, i.e., idolatry is hard work! Yes, says he and here’s why. The Babylonians had at least eleven major gods: Tiamat: in one area she epitomized the beauty of the feminine, while the other showcasing how she represented the chaotic scope of primordial origins,” i.e., in another area she takes “the form of a giant dragon to wreak havoc on the younger generation of gods and is also said to have created the first batch of monsters and ‘poison- filled dragons…” I think I’ve met her. Enlil, Enki, and Anu: It has been reported that Mesopotamian had a supreme triad: Enlil, possibly portrayed as the ‘Lord of Air,’ Anu, god of the heavens, Enki, god of wisdom and earth. Of these it was Enlil “who brought upon the great flood upon humanity because he was “perturbed by their higher rate of fertility and the general ‘noise’ they made (that disturbed his sleep). Enki, translated as the ‘Lord of the Earth,’ has also been depicted as a deity of creation, crafts, intelligence and even magic.” Marduk: Seemingly the most famous of the Babylonian gods. Marduk has been portrayed as ‘the very King of gods (or even Storm God), draped in royal robes, whose fields of ‘expertise’ ranged from justice, healing to agriculture and magic. Historically, the famous ziggurat of Babylon was also dedicated to Marduk, which has been referred to a “the (literary) model for the Biblical Tower of Babel.” Other Babylonian gods included Ishtar, Sin, Shamash, Nisaba, Ashur, and Ninkasi.
    [Show full text]
  • INTRODUCTION to BREWING Marie-Annick Scott
    INTRODUCTION TO BREWING Marie-Annick Scott 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS History pg 2 Malt varieties pg 8 Other fermentables pg 9 Hops pg 11 Bittering compounds pg 12 Flavour compounds pg 12 Hop products pg 12 Water pg 14 Yeast pg 18 Equipment pg 20 Mash profiles pg 22 Detailed brew day steps pg 26 After brew day pg 34 Designing your own recipes pg 39 Glossary pg 43 © 2019 Marie-Annick Scott 2 INTRODUCTION TO BREWING Welcome to a one-day course on brewing. During this course you will learn how to transform grains and hops into drinkable beer. Throughout the day, we will be demonstrating how to make beer using your own equipment and guide you through the process to design your very own recipes. Brewing is an extremely old practice, even predating civilisation. Historians like to argue whether beer or bread came first, but we do know that it’s the reason humans started living together, moving from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to farming and eventually, cities. AN EXTREMELY BRIEF HISTORY OF BEER While we have evidence of beer and brewing going back over 10 000 years, the oldest written reference to beer is the “Hymn to Ninkasi” Given birth by the flowing water, tenderly cared for by Ninhursaja! Ninkasi, given birth by the flowing water, tenderly cared for by Ninhursaja! Having founded your town upon wax, she completed its great walls for you. Ninkasi, having founded your town upon wax, she completed its great walls for you. Your father is Enki, the lord Nudimmud, and your mother is Ninti, the queen of the abzu.
    [Show full text]
  • Women in the Ancient Near East: a Sourcebook
    WOMEN IN THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST Women in the Ancient Near East provides a collection of primary sources that further our understanding of women from Mesopotamian and Near Eastern civiliza- tions, from the earliest historical and literary texts in the third millennium BC to the end of Mesopotamian political autonomy in the sixth century BC. This book is a valuable resource for historians of the Near East and for those studying women in the ancient world. It moves beyond simply identifying women in the Near East to attempting to place them in historical and literary context, follow- ing the latest research. A number of literary genres are represented, including myths and epics, proverbs, medical texts, law collections, letters and treaties, as well as building, dedicatory, and funerary inscriptions. Mark W. Chavalas is Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, where he has taught since 1989. Among his publications are the edited Emar: The History, Religion, and Culture of a Syrian Town in the Late Bronze Age (1996), Mesopotamia and the Bible (2002), and The Ancient Near East: Historical Sources in Translation (2006), and he has had research fellowships at Yale, Harvard, Cornell, Cal-Berkeley, and a number of other universities. He has nine seasons of exca- vation at various Bronze Age sites in Syria, including Tell Ashara/Terqa and Tell Mozan/Urkesh. ROUTLEDGE SOURCEBOOKS FOR THE ANCIENT WORLD HISTORIANS OF ANCIENT ROME, THIRD EDITION Ronald Mellor TRIALS FROM CLASSICAL ATHENS, SECOND EDITION Christopher Carey ANCIENT GREECE, THIRD EDITION Matthew Dillon and Lynda Garland READINGS IN LATE ANTIQUITY, SECOND EDITION Michael Maas GREEK AND ROMAN EDUCATION Mark Joyal, J.C.
    [Show full text]
  • Asher-Greve / Westenholz Goddesses in Context ORBIS BIBLICUS ET ORIENTALIS
    Zurich Open Repository and Archive University of Zurich Main Library Strickhofstrasse 39 CH-8057 Zurich www.zora.uzh.ch Year: 2013 Goddesses in Context: On Divine Powers, Roles, Relationships and Gender in Mesopotamian Textual and Visual Sources Asher-Greve, Julia M ; Westenholz, Joan Goodnick Abstract: Goddesses in Context examines from different perspectives some of the most challenging themes in Mesopotamian religion such as gender switch of deities and changes of the status, roles and functions of goddesses. The authors incorporate recent scholarship from various disciplines into their analysis of textual and visual sources, representations in diverse media, theological strategies, typologies, and the place of image in religion and cult over a span of three millennia. Different types of syncretism (fusion, fission, mutation) resulted in transformation and homogenization of goddesses’ roles and functions. The processes of syncretism (a useful heuristic tool for studying the evolution of religions and the attendant political and social changes) and gender switch were facilitated by the fluidity of personality due to multiple or similar divine roles and functions. Few goddesses kept their identity throughout the millennia. Individuality is rare in the iconography of goddesses while visual emphasis is on repetition of generic divine figures (hieros typos) in order to retain recognizability of divinity, where femininity is of secondary significance. The book demonstrates that goddesses were never marginalized or extrinsic and thattheir continuous presence in texts, cult images, rituals, and worship throughout Mesopotamian history is testimony to their powerful numinous impact. This richly illustrated book is the first in-depth analysis of goddesses and the changes they underwent from the earliest visual and textual evidence around 3000 BCE to the end of ancient Mesopotamian civilization in the Seleucid period.
    [Show full text]
  • 130512213.23.Pdf
    ABS.1.7S.37? i » THE VINTNER, AND SPIRIT DEALER’S CONTAINING A GREAT VARIETY OF THE MOST APPROVED RECIPES, FOR THE MAKING, MIXING, MANAGING, FLAVOURING, COLOURING, AND BOTTLING, FOREIGN AND BRITISH SPIRITS, PORTER, AND ALES. ADAPTED TO EVERY BRANCH OF THE WINE, PORTER, ALE, AND SPIRIT TRADE. BY ALEXANDER PEDDIE, Author of the Cottonand Linen Weaver’s Assistant, Practical Measurer,’ ©la^gnln, PUBLISHED BY KHULL, BLACKIE, & CO. AND ARCHIBALD FULLARTON & CO. EDINBURGH. 1835. ENTERED IN STATIONERS HALL. O' B THE FOLLOWING RECIPES, NOTES, AND INSTRUCTIONS, Upon the MAKING, MIXING, AND PROPER MANAGEMENT OF WINES, PORTER, ALES, AND SPIRITS, ARE RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED, TO THE WINE MERCHANTS, SPIRIT DEALERS, AND BREWERS OF ^cotlantr, (ffiiiglanlf, anU Srclanir, BY ALEX. PEDDIE. ■ > PREFACE. T o say much upon the usefulness and importance of a work of this kind, would be superfluous, vain and idle; the worth of it will be fully appreciated by those for whom it is particularly intended. All that seems necessary is, to give a short outline of the plan of the work, and point out where a little deviation (from the nature of the substances em- ployed), at particular times may be absolutely ne- cessary. It is now a number of years since I formed a de- sign of compiling a work of this kind, for the use of those engaged in the wine and spirit trade; and I would not at this time, in all likelihood, have brought it into the notice of the public, had it not been for the repeated solicitations of many respecta- ble wine merchants and spirit dealers in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Greenock, and other places, to whom I shewed the manuscript copy, that I might receive their opinion upon its merits.
    [Show full text]
  • The Wines of the Bible
    The Wines of the Bible THE WINES OF THE BIBLE AN EXAMINATION AND REFUTATION OF THE UNFERMENTED WINE THEORY BY THE REV. A.M. WILSON LONDON: HAMILTON, ADAMS & CO. EDINBURGH: ANDREW ELLIOT. GLASGOW: THOMAS D. MORISON MANCHESTER: JOHN BOYD 1877 2 The Wines of the Bible Preface The question as to the nature of Ancient Wines in general, and of the Wines of the Bible in particular, has been forced into special prominence by recent discussions of the Wine of the Communion. Whether the writer of the following pages has been successful in exhibiting the true nature of these Wines, or has failed in the effort, he has at least, the satisfaction of knowing that he has done what he could. Having been a teetotaler for more than thirty years, his personal habits, associations, and sympathies have all been in favor of the unfermented theory; but the facts encountered in the present investigation, have constrained him, reluctantly, to conclude that, so far as the Wines of the Ancients are concerned, Unfermented Wine is a myth. E. U. Manse, Bathgate, April, 1877 3 The Wines of the Bible Publishers Introduction It is with extreme pleasure to reproduce A.M. Wilson’s epic book, “The Wines of the Bible.” It has been out of print for years and almost impossible to obtain a copy. This present reproduction was taken from photo copies obtained over 30 years ago from a borrowed library loan copy. The following pages were hand typed over many hours and so all spelling errors are due to the present publisher rather than the original copy used.
    [Show full text]
  • Nineveh 2018-1
    CULTURAL EDUCATIONAL SOCIAL Established 1964 Publication of the Assyrian Foundation of America Volume 42, Number 1-2, 2018 From the Presdident Contents 12/13/17 Happy New Year and Warmest Greetings as we begin 2018! 4 Inanna Sarkis 26 In Memoriam And Her Many Talents Shamuel Benjamin Odisho Now that we are in the New Year, it is good to look ahead and to think about what this year may bring. Arpine Onick Hovasapian First though, I would like to thank all of you in the strongest way possible for your dedication and generosity, 5 After ISIS helping us to keep our commitment to our people, as well as to the preservation of our language and history. The cradle of Christianity... 27 Nineveh Donations January 2017 through December 2017 In 2017, we began to see the light of hope as the Nineveh Plain was liberated from ISIS. Nevertheless, ISIS left behind unmistakable devastation, barbarism, and desolation in our villages, having destroyed our histori- 6 European Assyrians 28 3,700 Year Old Babylonian Table cal & cultural treasures in hopes of wiping out our name from history. Today, hundreds of Assyrian families Second Convention in Brussels have begun to return to their villages, destroyed by ISIS and largely uninhabitable. Many challenges and Rewrites the History of Maths significant work lie ahead of us in restoring the Nineveh Plain and our valuable historical treasures. 8 Acient Mesoptamian Gods 30 Trigonometry Because of your generous donations in 2017, the Assyrian Foundation of America was able to provide over & Goddesses Real Life Applications $60,000 towards humanitarian, educational and cultural programs.
    [Show full text]
  • Politecnico Di Torino
    POLITECNICO DI TORINO Collegio di Ingegneria Gestionale Master of Science Degree in Engineering and Management Master of Science Thesis Analysis of the craft beer movement in Italy Supervisor Candidate Prof. Luigi Benfratello Tommaso Magrì Academic Year 2018/2019 2 Summary The purpose of this thesis is to describe the current state of the beer market in Italy with a qualitative and quantitative focus on craft breweries. Since it has been influencing the demand and setting new minimum quality levels, the Italian craft beer movement has become more important in recent years. The first chapter analyses the concept of beer: its origin and how it has evolved over the centuries, the raw materials of which it is composed and its production process. Furthermore, this chapter provides a brief description of the differences in the production process between industrial and craft beer. The second chapter begins with a general overview of the global beer market: some parameters (like market size, growth rates and trends) are provided. Furthermore, an in-depth analysis of three continents (and respective countries), where the largest amount of beer is produced, is carried out: Asia (China), America (USA) and Europe (United Kingdom), with an overview of their craft beer movements. The third chapter focuses on the Italian beer market. It begins with an analysis of the Italian legislation and continues with a snapshot view of the sector. The displayed data and numbers help the reader to understand the market situation: production and consumption, imports and exports, main competitors, distribution channels and suppliers are taken into consideration. The fourth chapter deals with an empirical analysis of a sample of brewing firms.
    [Show full text]
  • History of Merchants, Beer in Ancient Mesopotamia
    History of merchants, beer in Ancient Mesopotamia December 24, 2019 This Babylonian cylinder seal from Ur (c. 2600 B.C.E.) shows two people drinking beer out of a jar using straws. By Weam Namou The Chaldean Cultural Center has five galleries to stroll through: Chaldeans in the Ancient World, Faith & Church, Village Life, Journey to America, and Chaldeans Today. Journey to America, which has a threshold date of 1933, is based on the fact that the pioneer Chaldeans already owned grocery stores in Detroit by 1933. Most of the early pioneers who came to America were men from the villages seeking better economic opportunities and for adventure. They learned the grocery store business from Syrian and Lebanese friends and established themselves in that trade. But historically, Chaldean merchants had been trading in Mesopotamia for thousands of years. The Sumerians used a barter system to buy and sell goods. They exchanged their goods and services for other goods and services that they needed. The Babylonians were the first people to use Shekels, which was a silver, gold, or copper coin. This cuneiform (3100 to 3500 BC) records beer given to workers as part of their daily rations. Our knowledge of merchants in ancient Babylon comes from the famous “Code of Hammurabi,” a set of 282 laws that governed Mesopotamian society. Nearly a tenth of the Code covers laws of business and economics, including arranging out the duties and responsibilities of the merchant class. Merchants were given a high level of protection by Hammurabi’s laws. They also controlled the banking system of Babylonia.
    [Show full text]
  • The World of the Sumerian Mother Goddess
    ACTA UNIVERSITATIS UPSALIENSIS Historia Religionum 35 The World of the Sumerian Mother Goddess An Interpretation of Her Myths Therese Rodin Dissertation presented at Uppsala University to be publicly examined in Ihresalen, Tun- bergsvägen 3L, Uppsala, Saturday, 6 September 2014 at 10:00 for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. The examination will be conducted in English. Faculty examiner: Professor Britt- Mari Näsström (Gothenburg University, Department of Literature, History of Ideas, and Religion, History of Religions). Abstract Rodin, T. 2014. The World of the Sumerian Mother Goddess. An Interpretation of Her Myths. Historia religionum 35. 350 pp. Uppsala: Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis. ISBN 978-91-554- 8979-3. The present study is an interpretation of the two myths copied in the Old Babylonian period in which the Sumerian mother goddess is one of the main actors. The first myth is commonly called “Enki and NinপXUVDƣa”, and the second “Enki and Ninmaপ”. The theoretical point of departure is that myths have society as their referents, i.e. they are “talking about” society, and that this is done in an ideological way. This study aims at investigating on the one hand which contexts in the Mesopotamian society each section of the myths refers to, and on the other hand which ideological aspects that the myths express in terms of power relations. The myths are contextualized in relation to their historical and social setting. If the myth for example deals with working men, male work in the area during the relevant period is dis- cussed. The same method of contextualization is used regarding marriage, geographical points of reference and so on.
    [Show full text]
  • Epic of Gilgamesh
    E G S L P: . 2100-1200 B.C.E S: P G E: U P,1917 T U M P B S V. X N. 3 This book has been downloaded from www.aliceandbooks.com. You can find many more public domain books in our website I In the year the University Museum secured by purchase a large six column tablet nearly complete, carrying originally, according to the scribal note, lines of text. The contents supply the South Babylonian version of the second book of the epic ša nagba imuru, “He who has seen all things,” commonly referred to as the Epic of Gilgamish. The tablet is said to have been found at Senkere, ancient Larsa near Warka, modern Arabic name for and vulgar descendant of the ancient name Uruk, the Biblical Erech mentioned in Genesis X. This fact makes the new text the more interesting since the legend of Gilgamish is said to have originated at Erech and the hero in fact figures as one of the prehistoric Sumerian rulers of that ancient city. The dynastic list preserved on a Nippur tablet mentions him as the fifth king of a legendary line of rulers at Erech, who succeeded the dynasty of Kish, a city in North Babylonia near the more famous but more recent city Babylon. The list at Erech contains the names of two well known Sumerian deities, Lugalbanda and Tammuz. The reign of the former is given at , years and that of Tammuz at years. Gilgamish ruled years. We have to do here with a confusion of myth and history in which the real facts are disengaged only by conjecture.
    [Show full text]
  • The Epic of Gilgamish
    UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA THE UNIVERSITY MUSEUM PUBLICATIONS OF THE BABYLONIAN SECTION VOL. x No. 3 THE EPIC OF GILGAMISH BY STEPHEN LANGDON PHILADELPHIA PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY MUSEUM 1917 INTRODUCTION In the year 1914the University Museum secured by pur- chase a large six column tablet nearly complete, carrying originally, according to the scribal note, 240 lines of text. The contents supply the South Babylonian version of the second book of the epic Sa nagba inzuru, “He who has seen all things,” commonly referred to as the Epic of Gilgamish, The tablet is said to have been found at Senkere, ancient Larsa near Wwka, modern Arabic name for and vulgar descendant of the ancient name Uruk, the Biblical Erech mentioned in Genesis x. IO. This fact makes the new text the more interesting since the legend of Gilgamish is said to have originated at Erech and the hero in fact figures as one of the prehistoric Sumerian rulers of that ancient city. The dynastic list preserved on a Nippur tablet1 mentions him as the fifth king of a legendary line of rulers at Erech, who succeeded the dynasty of Kish, a city in North Babylonia near the more famous but more recent city Babylon. The list at Erech contains the names of two well known Sumerian deities, Lugalbanda2 and Tammuz. The reign of the former is given at 1,200 years and that of Tammuz at 100 years. Gilgamish ruled 126 years. We have to do here with a confusion of myth and history in which the real facts are disengaged only by conjecture.
    [Show full text]